Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-03-04
The Staunton indicator.

The Staunton indicator.
FRIDAY MORNING. MAR. 4, 1887.
LOCAL.
The Ch'IIstIa, Workers.
STRIKING FEATURES OF THE CoNvEN-
TON THE WORKERS TRAINING
CLAss-THE GENERAL SECRETARIES
THE MARKED INFLUENCE OF THE
BODY ON sTAUNTON-THEF FAREWELL
| MEETING.
&C, &C., &C.
| 1t has been many day since Stanton
has been stirred up as it was by the ses-
sions of the State Convention of Young
Mems Christian Associations which COM
menced here on Thursday night and closed
on Sunday night. Every night the town
turned out to crowd the churches in which
the sessions were held, ard Sunday all day
| it presented the stir and hustle OF relig-
1ous camp. At all hours through that
day, meetings were being held by the men,
bers Of the convention at the various
| churches, and at one hour, O'Clock P. NJ.
| there were three going on at one time.
THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY.
There was marked change in the ap-
; pearance of the body this year from that
it presented when it assembled here twelve
years ago. The older heads had almost
entirely disappeared, and the seats last
week we're filled by bright looking young
fellows at ages running from eighteen to
twenty-six. There were but five middled
aged.men In this convention and but three
in whose hair the frost of time had ap-
peared. In 1875 there were only six Asso-
Citations, outside of StaunJon, represented
by but ten delegates. Last week there were
q Associations represented by one hun
dred and twenty seven delegates, not inclu
ding Stanton. In 1875 the only specialist
in the work present Was representative
of the International Committee. Last
week there were six, all belonging to Vir-
gInia, besides one from Georgia aud one
from the International Committee. There
were young men who are clerks. young
men who are college students, young men
on railroads, Zone of them fireman. who
made one of the best reports from his
branch Association that was read to the
convention) and young men who had left
their farms to come.
THE TRAINED WORKERS.
The feature of the convention most
novel to our people was the trained work.
ers, the specialists so to speak, who con-
Quoted the convention and all it's services.
They were eight in number as follows
T. A. Harding of Washington, D. G.,
General Secretary in the service of the
international Committee; M. B. Williams,
State Secretary of Georgia, and the follow
ing from Virginia-H. o. Williams, State
Secretary with headquarters at Rich.
mond; 81. M. Clarke, General Secretary of
the Richmond Association; E. T. Dad
mum. General Secretary of the Norfolk
Association; G. A., Licklider, General
Secretary of the Lynchburg Association;
J. McLain Brown, General Secretary OF
the Charlottesville Association, and H.
F. Smith, Gymnasium Manager of the
Norfolk Association. All of these men
we're young men apparently ranging be-
tween the ages of twenty-three and twen-
ty.eight, and the common characteristic OF
their addresses on the Association work
was their quickness. Each one spoke on
some special branch of the work and as be
concluded announced that he was there to
answer any question that might be asked
him. The questions we're numerous and
followed fast, but they we're answered al
most as quick as asked. About all of them
there was the fascinating honhomie
which so captivates the world and espe-
cially the young, and with it was genial
humor which brushed away any awkward
situations that arose and made everything
work smoothly. These men have chosen
calling that requires peculiar self
sacrifice. At the very age when other men
are building up trades or professions, they
take up the profession of a Worker in the
young mems Christian work. It can last
but 3 few years at most; for directly they
cease to be young men they are no longer
fitted for the place and must retire to give
way to those who are young. 1t is a call
ing to which there is no superannuated
list on which they might retire as in the
clergy, no pension list as in the army
indeed no provision for old age, for the
few years they have OF active employment
will not permit them to accumulate any
thing of any consequence. So that, taken
altogether, it requires more of sacrifice
than any position connected with the Y.
M. q. A. work. These men have literally
devoted themselves and their future pros
poets to the work.
THE WORKERS TRAINING CLASS.
The most remarkable feature OF the
work presented during the session of the
convention was what was called the
Workers Training Glass. 1t gave three
public exhibitions, the first in the conven-
ton on Friday morning. and the other
two at the First and Second Presbyterian
churches on Sunday. The class was led
by H. M. Clarke the Richmond General
Secretary, and was composed of F. A.
Johnson, F. G. Johnson, G. H. Younger,
E. P. Jones, George s. Crenshaw. E. T.
Dadmun, J. McLain Brown, c. Armand
Miller, r. E. Moore, Porter Brady, and
E. M. Stires. The work of the class was
intensely interesting and is we'll worth
describing The pupils, selected at ram
dom from the convention and all young